Vendée Globe: Charlie Dalin likely winner

End of suspense? Less than a day before the finish of the 10th Vendée Globe, Charlie Dalin (Macif) kept the upper hand this Monday over his first pursuer Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa): only damage could allow the Varois to catch up. On the Swiss side, Justine Mettraux remained firmly established in the top 10.

As of Monday 3 p.m., there were less than 135 nautical miles (250 km) left to go for Charles Dalin before raising his arms to the sky to celebrate his sparkling revenge in the solo round-the-world race in which he finished second. in 2021.

140 miles ahead

This Monday afternoon, Dalin still had a lead of 140 miles over his friend, before his last hours of navigation. To reach Sables-d’Olonne, he went around a windless zone to the north and slowly began to descend along Brittany.

“Ahead of the coast, the wind should be quite light (…). The conditions are unstable, we will have to find the right compromise: that the boat continues to move forward,” explained the 40-year-old sailor in an audio message in the morning. The light weather must favor Dalin because his rival tore a headsail – of great importance for these light conditions – during his journey up the North Atlantic.

An arrival in the night

According to the Macif team, Charlie Dalin was due to arrive on Tuesday around 5 a.m. in Les Sables-d’Olonne. On the organizers’ side, it was estimated that Normand would be able to cross the line between 3 and 7 a.m., followed half a day later by Richomme.

If the line is crossed before 1:02 p.m. (start time on November 10), the race will have been completed in 64 days, almost 10 less than the record established by Armel Le Cléac’h in 2016/2017 (74 days, 3 hours , 35 minutes and 46 seconds).

“I don’t think too much about the finish”

In the lead for more than 80% of the course, Charles Dalin has no intention of letting go so close to a Grail that he has coveted for 4 years, after finishing second by a whisker during the previous edition. He has almost won every other race since and launched a new foiling boat in June 2023, even more powerful and versatile than the previous one. “For the moment it’s concentration, continuing to rest, eating well… I’m not thinking too much about the finish,” said Charlie Dalin.

In Sables-d’Olonne, everything is ready to welcome the first two boats. The racing village has reopened and residents and enthusiasts are preparing to experience a return to the historic channel after the conclusion of 2021, in the void imposed by the Covid epidemic.

A previous “frustrating” defeat

At the time, Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq), who arrived later than Dalin, had obtained a time bonus for having participated in the rescue operations of Kevin Escoffier. Dalin had finally given in for less than three short hours.

“This second place was a big frustration. For a long time I would wake up at night, redo the race, the maneuvers, the sail choices to understand where I had let this time go,” the skipper recounted before departure.

In the event of victory, Charlie Dalin will be joined on the boat by four members of his technical team, but also by his wife and his 7-year-old son, for his first physical contacts after two months at sea. At night, the Olonna port , where the Vendée Globe village is located and where the winner will moor, will come alive as the hours pass.

Roura 16e

The party should last a few days, as more people arrive. Sébastien Simon, in 3rd position, is expected between Thursday and Friday to complete the podium.

Tenth – and first woman – in the ranking, Geneva’s Justine Mettraux was sailing 3,400 miles from the finish. The top 8 was still within his reach. As for Alan Roura16th in the points this Monday at 3 p.m., he could still hope to finish among the first 15.

ATS

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